Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) DnD has become a staple of Tilderian activities. Though there has yet to be a single campaign carried out to completion, many posters yearn and crave DnD as badly as they do WoW rerolls. At the time of this article's creation, there have been roughly 7 TLDR or TLDR-related DnD campaigns. The First Campaign (2014) The first ever TLDR DnD (technically it was Pathfinder) campaign featured: * Monalfie as the Dungeon Master * Burrs as a Human Cavalier * Muertimus as a Kobold Bard * Sock as a Human Paladin * Lurks as a Dwarf Fighter * Fiorenza as a Dhampir Cleric * NeverGuess as a Nagaji Druid The game only lasted for a few sessions before Mutually Autistic Destruction rendered the game unplayable, but it set the precedent for future TLDR DnD games. The Interim Games After the failure of the First Campaign, subsequent games followed. These rarely lasted more than a few sessions. The Longest Campaign (2015-2016) in mspaint. Not every character featured in this picture appeared in the game at the same time.]] The most successful TLDR DnD game is easily the one Monalfie DM'd from 2015-2016. The game ran for nearly 10 months and featured many players as people continuously dropped in and out of the game. Featured players: * Monalfie as the Dungeon Master * Sock as Varan Morroth (Half-Elf [later High Elf] Cleric) * Red as Elunid Feldrun (Dwarf Druid) * Pintsized as Maurice "Rahh-Rahh!" Rollins (mulatto Half-Elf tri-class abomination) * Ixxan as Veloras (Human Monk) * Lurks as Thoradin Bronzecleave (Dwarf Ranger [later Barbarian]) * Qwee as Pandros Sterling (Half-Elf Rogue) * Lucky as Elena Hesselgrave (Half-Elf Cleric) * NeverGuess as Nefialtis (Tiefling Eldritch Knight) .]] Ongoing Controversy (2017) In January of 2017, while the wiki was being updated, it was discovered that the summaries written for the DnD campaign run by Monalfie in 2015-2016 were deleted. The summaries were originally posted in this thread here: https://thetldr.com/index.php?/topic/6632-monalfies-dungeon-and-dragons-summary-thread/ But as of January 2017, the summaries are no longer there. It remains a mystery as to why the summaries were removed. Back in the Saddle (2017) On January 29, 2017 at 7PM EST, a new game was taken up with Muertimus as DM. All session summaries are written by Muert. * Muertimus as the Dungeon Master * Qwee as "Badger," Gnome Fighter (Archer-themed Eldritch Knight) * Sock as Giric Amnon, Tiefling Sorcerer '(Draconic Bloodline) * Monalfie as ''Mithras Stormwhisper, 'Wood Elf Druid '(Circle of the Moon) * Lurks as Gamlin Goodhelm, 'Dwarf Barbarian '(Totem Warrior - Bear) * Prokaryote as Quarion, 'Half-Elf Warlock '(Patron - Great Old One) * Ixxan as Ginobli the Great, 'Gnome Wizard '(Tradition - Evocation) during Session 4 * NeverGuess as Bovac, '''Dragonborn Paladin (Oath of the Ancients) during Session 8 * Lucky as Toska Riberg, Half-Orc Fighter' 'after Session 2 * Palandir as Edmund Granmeyer, Human Wizard' 'after Session 3 Session 1 Summary (1/29/17) * 1) Camped * 2) Ambushed by one-eyed orc and lackeys * 3) Repelled them, taking some injuries. Orc ran off into the night despite your best efforts, quite wounded. * 3a) Found note ordering attack, detailing the need to find "the item" with some weird Snake drawing stamped onto it. Initials O. H. * 4) Discovered Quinton searching his father's body, and escaping into the night. Perhaps to find his Father's killers? Or perhaps to escape your suspicions, as Mithras suspects. * 5) Found Hodge and the trade goods of the caravan + your payment. * 6) Found body of Jonn, and tracks leading into the cornfield. * 7) Buried Rodd Cartwright. RIP * 8) Found iron bauble on iron chain--some magical necklace, Mithras senses. * 9) Slept. * 10) In the morning, Enwenel came and offered a job to find the raiders. * 11) Buried wagons, found horses. * 12) Came back with 6 horses (4 missing), merchants still missing * 13) Unearthed the wagons, tension brewing between Mithras/Gamlin and Giric. * 14) Travelled without incident, although tense, back to Greenest. * 15) Bought rooms and rested up, before you planned your next moves at Enwenel's behest. Session 2 Summary (2/5/17) * 1) plotted out plan of action in the Slobbering Ghoul tavern in Greenest * 2) Went north to the ruins first * 3) Found some whiskey and a good piece of leather armor that Badger took * 4) Heard roars/screeches and was attacked by a manticore after some of you failed to hide * 5) Retrieved its head + 15 of its spikes * 6) Turned in head and received a bounty-21gp * 7) Continued on your way to your second destination after appraising Enwenel * 8) Was met by a religious procession that gifted Mithras a magical box * 9) Wandered the wilds to the southwest and happened upon the old trail of the orc. * 10) Crept closer to their camp, before Mithras charged across the bridge as a direwolf with Gamlin riding on his back * 11) Took serious injuries after grueling combat, but finally ended with the Orc's head impaled on a stake * 12) Gamlin took his maul as a final boast to the dead orc Session 3 Summary (2/19/17) * 1) Finished searching the orc's camp * 2) Found two notes * 2a) The notes mention a Ferula of Venditoft * 2b) The notes give the party the name O. Highgrudge and "Eggeaters" * 2c) They give instructions on how to enter the HQ * 3) After much debate, the party decide to walk up north, following the path of the river, hoping that this river leads them to the waterfall mentioned in the notes * 4) It indeed leads them to a small lake containing a waterfall, which they search for hours * 5) Badger takes a torch above the waterfall, hoping for something to happen * 6) Gamlin walks behind the waterfall, hoping to sense some kind of contraption or doorway. His knowledge of stone working lets him find the outline of a carved, stone archway behind the waterfall. His best efforts cannot open the arch. It is unclear what relationship this archway has with the bauble, if any * 7) The party return to town, and recount everything they learned to Enwenel * 8) The party decide to find a means to open this archway, deciding that avenging Rodd Cartwright is reward enough * 9) They soon hear the heavy armored footsteps of elven swordsmen, and a simply dressed elf with a sour look on his face appears just after them. He wears a signet ring but nobody thinks to look what's on the ring * 10) He offers a lot of gold to: kill Orkulf Highgrudge, retrieve a tome in his possession which belonged to Ferula, and retrieve a small iron bauble which he says you will know when you see. 1000gp each * 11) He seemed unconvinced of the iron bauble you gave him, which Quarion desperately tried to keep, but you are not sure why this bauble did not convince him * 12) He and his guards leave after agreeing to terms with your party. Quarion casts invisibility and follows. He hears a snippet of conversation from the guards, letting him know where they are heading. They mention, yet again, a "Mirror Knight", which had been in the area. The guards say that he has been recalled, but they leave soon after * 13) Back in the inn, rooms are rented, and Mithras and Gamlin agree to to terms on party conduct which Gamlin relays * 14) The party rests with clear goals in mind--even if they don't know how to obtain them Session 4 Summary (2/26/17) * 1) Giric dreams of a hooded figure in his bedroom, with the moonlight gleaming off his mask. When you all wake up two of your party are missing. Giric has headache all morning. * 2) Investigations of their two rooms produce more questions than answers. Edmund had left a note saying that the adventure has become too much for him and he was going to cut his losses now. * 2b) You are unable to discover the location of Toska, but you see signs of entry through the window of Edmund's room. * 3) Some of you decide to head into town to buy/sell. You see a small character thrown out of a store, exchanging curses with the owner. The character turns and extravagantly introduces himself as Ginobli the Great in a half-crazed ramble. He agrees to join-- for the promises of power, magic, domination, etc. * 4) Gamlin unloads gear to purchase a warhammer. A few of you buy potions of healing. Badger buys a few healing kits from the neighborhood gnome. * 5) You decide the plan of action should be to set a trap at the torch near the waterfall, hoping to ambush any ambushers and put the advantage on your side. Gamlin recquisitions a few barrels of pure alcohol from the back to help. * 6) You set off for the waterfall, getting some quality bonding along the way--Gamlin had decided on going the slower, safer route. You make camp just before rainstorms appear. * 7) The next day, as you are approaching the forest, you produce the bauble again to examine. Ginobli examines it and tells the party that it has necromantic and transmutative properties. Quarion cannot figure out how to open it, until it springs open on its own as he hands it to Mithras. Inside is a tarnished metallic eagle, dull gray in color. * 8) Mithras: learns that it opens when he wishes it open while holding it; seems to absorb his blood when he holds it up to the bauble. * 9) A rider approaches you, galloping from the direction of the town. It's a half-elf, very pale and cloaked. He pulls down his hood and hails you from a short distance. He is Truthseeker, and he has sought you after seeing you meet with Galabor, the herald of Ferula. * 10) He tells you to not trust Ferula, and that the Eggeaters are not your true enemy. He advises you to carry the Bauble to Beregost to an associate. He mentions that working against Ferula will cause the Mirror Knight to hunt them. He cautions that Ferula is the most dangerous influence on the region, and must be stopped. He seems to have no stake on the fate of the Eggeaters themselves. * 11) Satisfied with all answers he gives to your party, you agree to terms--helped by the party's previous dislike of Ferula's herald. You will bring the Bauble to Beregost in exchange for 3500g. * 12) The party turns to face the treeline, ready to finish their business with the Eggeaters. Session 5 Summary (3/5/17) * 1) Prepared ambush at waterfall * 1a) Sloppily hid alcohol near cliff face, splashed it all over * 2) While waiting, Gamlin hallucinates. When he wakes up, his hand is cut open and a smoldering bear rib is in his pocket. * 3) You wait til dark, when Mithras signals the torch. Badger prepares an alarm spell on the cave door. * 4) Less than half an hour later, you spot a couple of guards coming down the cliff face. Giric springs the trap to Mithras's chagrin. The rocks near the waterfall are lit up with an alcohol fire, but the barrel doesn't explode. * 5) Giric immediately tosses another, which triggers an explosion that instantly kills the guards where they stand. * 6) The alarm that Badger prepared is triggered, and you successfully fight off the scout and mage that appear from it. * 7) You are attacked from behind and take some hits, but manage to overcome. * 8) Searching the bodies afterward, Gamlin finds a metallic sigil. * 9) Badger successfully tracks where the second attackers came from, but is unable to discover the second entrance. * 10) Gamlin successfully opens the cave door, either from banging on it hard enough or by luck. * 11) You enter the cave after much trepidation. * 12) Gamlin searches the cave, but it is eerily empty besides the shouts from a dwarf deep inside. * 13) Gamlin finds some healing supplies and a couple of spell scrolls in a bin in the back. * 14) You eventually confront the dwarf captain, Orkulf, and he explains his situation as best as he can. * 15) Quinton, now looking much different, appears from the shadows behind you. He admits to killing Rodd Cartwright, which you already were suspicious of. * 16) He says Rodd never had a son, and that his Lord put an illusion on Quinton and enchanted Rodd into believing he was his son. * 17) Quinton says that his Lord is the owner of the bauble by right. * 18) Ginobli, impatient, fires a firebolt at Quinton, but it fizzles into the cave. * 19) Quinton escapes around a corner. * 20) Mithras, disputing the engagement, declines to take part. * 21) Giric summons his inner dragon and fires off three firey orbs into Orkulf's twin, Unrolf, who is quickly taken care of directly afterward. * 22) Gamlin and Badger subdue Orkulf enough for Ginobli to successfully put him in an unnatural sleep. Gamlin hogties Orkulf expertly. * 23) Searching the immediate area, you find a large amount of gold, the arcane tome stolen from Ferula, and a wand made from iron with a single crystal on the top. * 24) You also find a writing desk with lots of notes on it. * 25) Gamlin goes to wake up Orkulf, now that he's successfully pacified. Gamlin slaps Orkulf across the face, and... Session 6 Summary (3/11/17) * 1) Gamlin woke up Orkulf with a slap. * 2) Bashed Orkulf in the head when he tried to wriggle free. * 3) Finished searching the officer quarters. * 3a) Found Arcane Tome, Metal Wand (for a caster), gold, the captain's logs, and a couple of notes. * 4) Left the cave after learning how to work the sigil. * 5) Once in the forest again, Badger tried to find the trail from before. It was harder at night, but he was able to manage finding it again. * 6) Led its way to a clearing. * 7) This time, he found what looked like an old hideaway in a tree trunk. * 8) While this was happening, Gamlin and Giric took turns intimidating Orkulf into disclosing what was in the trunk. * 9) He finally relented as Ginobli shoved Badger aside and opened the latch door. * 9a) Inside was a small amount of gold for his sister, Fragna, as well as some preserves and a keepsake for her. * 9b) The keepsake is a necklace of Moradin, a dwarven deity. * 9c) It seems to hold sentimental value to Orkulf. * 10) You tie down Orkulf after Ginobli puts a sleep spell over him again, and camp for the night. * 10a) Mithras leaves to gather the horses, enjoying the peaceful night alone. * 11) In the morning, you break camp and gather to leave. * 12) Going to tie Orkulf up again, Gamlin expertly incapacitates him when he tries to spring free. He easily overpowers him and ties him. * 13) You ride back to Greenest, Gamlin taking the safer way back. * 14) You arrive at the tavern, shooing away gawkers (at Orkulf). * 15) Quarion leaves to get the captain of the guard to arrest him. * 16) As Orkulf is arrested, Gamlin gives Orkulf his word that he will rescue Orkulf's sister, which Orkulf is skeptical of. * 16a) Gamlin gives Orkulf the keepsake necklace to give to Fragna himself. * 17) The party gathers in the tavern to drink, but the general store clerk grabs Badger and insists he follows. * 18) Badger is led to the backyard of the general store, and is asked to purchase a Bracers of Archery. * 18a) They remove disadvantage on longbows for gnomes. The general store clerk was not persuaded by Badger's haggling and remained firm on the cost of 400gp. * 19) In the tavern, the party were given a sketch of the dwarf sister, Fragna, as well as information that Ferula had been kidnapping many people over the years. * 20) Mithras set out to find an enchanter with half the party, while Ginobli held Quarion back to drink with him. * 21) Finding the enchanter, an old half-orc named Throri, they paid 20g for him to identify the Iron Bauble. * 22) He said that the bauble was a phylactery, handing it back. * 22a) When Mithras opened the bauble exposing the metal eagle inside, Throri went into the back room and returned with some ointment. * 22b) Rubbing the ointment on the eagle's head revealed a white-gold surface. * 23) He also asked to check something and accidentally pricked his finger on the wing tip. * 24) Noticing that no blood appeared on his finger, he asked the party to come back later and let him look some things up. * 25) Outside, Mithras convinced the group around him to have him hide the bauble. * 26) Back at the tavern, Ginobli and Quarion were making the tavern crowd rowdy. Ginobli took the time to pry into Quarion's background, and Quarion in turn took the time to pry into Ginobli's imaginary(?) pet. * 27) Ginobli and Quarion were dragged off to dance, and things were very rowdy by the time the rest of the group came back. * 28) Quarion was dragged upstairs after Ginobli put an illusion on his pants to show a large bulge. * 29) Gamlin terrified a server accidentally, and gave him 20gp--about 6 month's worth of wages for the man. * 29a) The man came back with the best food he could scrounge up. * 30) Interrupted while eating a roast turkey leg, Gamlin turned around to see a man at the entrance to the tavern yell to a quieted crowd: "Orkulf has been sentenced to death!" Session 7 Summary (3/18/17) * 1) Mithras ingested the bauble. * 2) The party witnessed the execution of Orkulf. * 2b) Orkulf's final words are "Fuck Ferula." * 3) Galabor gives speech extolling the heroes and Ferula * 3b) Galabor delivers large chest of gold to heroes to the crowd's delight. * 4) Heroes return to the tavern and make preparations for leaving. * 5) Ginobli decides to buy scrolls at the general store, but is refused. * 6) Mithras returns to Greenest, and convinces the lone guard watching Orkulf's corpse to let him take it down, and to say that Mithras overpowered him. * 7) The next morning over breakfast, they finalize their plans to leave. * 8) Ginobli leaves with Quarion to buy the scrolls at the general store under a disguise. * 9) The party are given horses at a discount to leave, and are on their way to Beregost. * 10) Alfwood, the gnome merchant, gives them advertisements for Alfwood's Wonders to give out. * 11) The party travel a week to get to Nashkel, a mountain supply town, and spend one night there. * 12) Giric buys a warm 2-person tent at the general store. * 13) The party travel a little under a week to get to Beregost. Session 8 Summary (3/26/17) The party arrived at Beregost. After witnessing an argument at the gates, they enter. Inside they find a priest of Lathander speaking to a crowd about the blight of the undead. Upon hearing the word "lich", Gamlin loudly expresses his confusion. The priest beckons him over, as well as a Dragonborn standing in the crowd. The priest asks the Dragonborn if he knows what a lich is. The Dragonborn explains what he knows of the beings with apparent dislike. After hearing the school of necromancy being spoken of so negatively by the priest and the Dragonborn, Ginobli interrupts, asking them to explain what makes it so bad. The Dragonborn explains that once something dies, he believes it should return to the earth, rather than be raised again to serve some being. While Ginobli doesn't seem to be too convinced, he doesn't press the matter further. Mithras also criticizes the priest a bit. This draws him to the Dragonborn's attention, who sees his quite nature-y look and begins to believe he might be able to assist him with an omen he saw in the woods before coming to Beregost. Noticing that they were standing in the way of those entering the city, the party decided to press on and look for an inn. The Dragonborn follows the party, seeking to ask Mithras some questions. After the party finds an inn, the Dragonborn introduces himself as Bovac, and explains he saw a sign in the forest that he believes to be an omen. The sign was a bird of prey that had a snake in its beak, a snake that had just eaten an egg. The party sees the correlation between this and the recent events that had unfolded, specifically with the ones know as the "Eggeaters", and they inform the dragonborn about them. The Dragonborn decides that this omen must have led him to them and asks if he might join them. Gamblin and Ginobli accept, saying that Bovac looks like he could be of use to them. After spending some time arguing about which inn to stay at, Giric, Quarion and Bovac stay at a cheap inn, known to have loud music and dancing, while Mithras,Ginobli, and Gamlin decide to spend their gold coins at a more esteemed establishment. Meanwhile, Badger has left to explore the city and eventually sleeps on some unwanted furniture that some residents have left out. Mithras, Gamlin, and Ginobli wake up and have the most amazing breakfast of their life, and for the most part agree that their coin was well spent. Meanwhile, despite the small, bare rooms and the loud music and dancing, Giric, Quarion and Bovac wake up with a decent nights sleep with nothing out of the ordinary happening. While about to order some breakfast, they notice a hooded figure. The hooded figure reveals himself to be Quinton. Quinton claims to be an associate of the Truthseeker. He offers to answer any questions the party might have about him, or anything he might know that could be of use on their quest,with the intention of having them hand the bauble over to his Lord. Quarion asks several questions, and as he does so, Bovac decides to use Zone of Truth on Quinton, explaining that he should have no problem with such a thing if he truly intends on being honest. Quinton remains unphased, and has no problem being under the effects of the spell. After some time of questioning, the rest of the party arrives. Gamlin immediately starts behaving violently towards Quinton, beating him several times, almost to the point of unconciousness. Throughout this, the party notices that Quinton often has some strange episodes, speaking to himself about some strange things. The party begins to believe he might be under the effect of some sort of magic. While some members attempt to investigate magic on him, Bovac uses his Divine Sense to detect if there is an undead, celestial or fiend nearby. Bovac senses the presence of an undead precisely where Quinton sits. After revealing this to the party and to Quinton himself, the party seems to become even more untrusting of Quinton, while Quinton seems somewhat surprised that he is one of the undead. Eventually Quinton seems to suggest that both him and his master have been cursed in some way and are both one of the undead. It seems as though his memory is hazy, and he his episodes get worse and worse. The party seems split at this point, with several members becoming frustrated and wanting to execute him. However after a vote they decide to keep him alive. Quinton leads them to an acquaintance of his that can get them into Candlekeep. However, after meeting him, the acquantence tells the party that they must travel to the sewers and retrieve a tome, as the only way to get into Candlekeep is to offer knowledge worth hundreds of gold coins. Despite Gamlin being quite upset at this new complication, the party sets out to enter the sewers and attain the tome. Session 9 Summary (4/1/17) As the group prepares to enter into the sewers, Quintons acquaintance takes Quarion, who is in the back of the group aside. He hands him a mirror, and says that it will be of some use to him, but that he can't say further. Quarion attempts to persuade him to give more information but fails. Quarion shows this mirror to some of the party, and using their incredible knowledge they decide that they will be encountering a basilisk somewhere in the sewers. Entering into the sewers, with Gamlin in the lead, the party finds themselves in utter darkness, with foul odors and the sound of running water about. While the rest of the party's eyes adjust to the darkness with their natural Darkvision, the Dragonborn finds himself completely blind. Thankfully, Ginobli places an enchantment on his trident, causing it to glow enough for Bovac to be able to see, as well as assisting the rest of the party's vision somewhat. While traversing the sewers, the party encounters these strange orbs embedded into the sides of the walls. They seem to be "off", however, and attempts to reactivate them by various means are met with failure. Giric uses his magic to conjure up a magical hand to test this orb, with not much of a reaction. The group mostly believes that they must be some sort of sewer lighting system, but does not bother pushing them further in case they could be something more dangerous. Moving on, the party finds a room. Inside, there are 3 dead men, looking to be wizards of some sort by their attire. Investigating their corpses to try to find what befell them, perhaps for signs of the basilisk they are expecting, the party finds the wounds to be quite clean and straight, ones not made by a beast. Gamlin decides to move the corpses and lay them into more respectful positions, instead of splayed out. As he does this, a orb falls out from one of the wizards and rolls to the center of the room. Taking a closer look the party discovers that it is one of the orbs found earlier embedded into the walls of the sewers. Bovac tests to see if this one has any power or energy left and finds no reaction, before placing it into his pack, despite warnings from the party. The group ventures deeper into the sewers, now wary that they may face not only a basilisk but some sort of wizard killer. Finally, they encounter a man. Gamlin is the first to approach him and gets very close to him. The man makes threats towards Gamlin and gathering from the "answers" he gives the party when questioned, seems to have lost his mind. The group seems to be leaning towards this man being the one responsible for the wizard corpses earlier. As the threats get more serious and a dagger is pulled, the situation escalates and Gamlin decides to kill him. While some party members are upset at this, as there was no clear evidence that he was a murderer, and he seemed to be mentally unwell, the party moves on nonetheless. The party next enters a room, met with the sound of loud rushing water. In the center of the room, between them and the continuation of the sewer system, there is a whirlpool of water perpetually swirling into a drain in the center. The party spots some sort of statue bobbing up and down in the whirlpool. Upon further examination, the statue appears to be a dwarf holding an axe. Some party members decide this might be the doing of a basilisk, known for turning it's foes to stone. Gamlin, using his extensive knowledge of dwarven crafts, notices that the axe is unlike anything he has ever seen and orders Mithras to fetch the axe from the statue. Mithras turns into a crocodile and enters the whirlpool. While struggling initially against the swirling waters, he manages the strength to swim against the water, break off the axe from the statue, and bringing it back to Gamlin. After reading the dwarven runes on the axe and finding them to hint at some sort of magic, Gamlin passes the axe to Ginobli, who determines that the axe uses blood to become stronger. While discussing what the best way for everyone to cross the room could be, Mithras decides to cast waterwalking, allowing him to walk across the whirlpool as if it was solid. As he is crossing, the party decides that it would be best if he took a rope with him to the other side, so that perhaps the party could use it to cross afterwards. After the group tosses the rope at him and misses, Mithras decides to just walk back to the side the rest of the group is at and pick up the rope, instead of playing catch with it. Badger is the first to cross the room using the rope, and in a quite amazing display of his incredible acrobatic skill, he easily walks across the rope on his feet, and finishes the crossing with an impressive backflip. Following this, Ginobli uses his Misty Step spell, disappearing in a cloud of mist, before reappearing on the other end with Mithras and Badger. Next up, Quarion crosses the whirlpool by rope, hanging underneath it and slowly making his way across. Giric decides to use a spell on Bovac using one of his chicken feathers, making Bovac capable of floating slightly above the whirlpool, and making it across with ease. With only Giric and Gamlin remaining, Gamlin decides to go next. Opting out of utilizing both the rope or any sort of magical assistance, Gamlin uses all of the raw strength and dexterity his dwarven body can muster, and propels himself across the whirlpool. The party watches in fear and awe as this short, brawny figure manages to clear nearly 10 feet using physical skill alone. Gamlin lands at the very edge in the water, holding on to the ledge. Declining any help from his party members, he manages to lift himself up out of the water on his own. Finally, for the final crossing, Ginobli uses a spell to summon a floating disc that follows him. Using his incredible knowledge on the mechanics of magic, he summons it on the other side where Giric stands, and after Giric steps onto it, Ginobli moves forwards deeper into the sewers, until the floating disc reaches the other side, where Giric steps off and the disc is sent away. In the next room, the party can see one of the orbs seen earlier, except this one is clearly active. They watch as this orb zaps rats that try to pass across it's region. Upon further examination, the orb seems to only zap the rats which are wet. Pulling out the orb he previously picked up, Bovac moves it towards Gamlin, who is quite wet, seeing if it will react at all. The orb seems to emanate some sort of energy a bit, but seems to be depleted of the power necessary to do anything. Seeing this, Gamlin grabs the orb, and feels a very very faint magic aimed at him come from the orb. Despite how faint it was, Gamlin deduces that at full power, the orb would have caused quite some harm. The party moves on past this orb, with those who are dry remaining unscathed, some using magical means to dry themselves, and some opting to test how strong the orb's zap really is. The party now finds themselves in a room containing various objects and treasures. As the various members of the group pick which of the trinkets and talismans they want to take, Gamlin and Giric grab for the same drinking horn at the same time, and manage to break it in half. Unable to find the tome or scroll they are looking for in the room, the party ventures further into the sewers, and finally finds what they are looking for. In this room, they find a scroll on some sort of pedestal. However, also in the room, is some sort of slumbering creature. The creature, the party finds out, is the ominous basilisk that they've been fearing. Bickering begins among the party as they try to decide what to do, their voices seemingly causing the basilisk to groan in its sleep. The group decides that Giric will use the Mage Hand spell he used earlier to take the scroll so as to avoid waking the basilisk. As this magical hand grabs the scroll, the basilisk wakes from it's slumber, and upon noticing this group of seven that has intruded in it's territory, shrieks. Facing no other option but to battle this creature while Giric attempts to bring the scroll to them, the group enters combat with Gamlin in the front. The group throws all they have at the creature, slashing it with axes, piercing it with tridents and arrows, and using their magical powers as well. In anger, the basilisk glares at the party with all of it's eyes, using it's infamous power to turn it's foes to stone. While the hardier members of the group are able to resist its gaze, Mithras unfortunately turns into stone. Continuing the fight, the party attacks the creature further, noticeably causing damage to it and weakening it. The basilisk once again glares at the party, this time turning Ginobli to stone. Gamlin, angered by the creature turning his friends to stone, continues his attacks on it. Finally, as the creature seems to be getting weakened, Bovac finishes it with one final attack, two-handing his trident and leaping into the air, impaling his trident straight into the beasts head. The basilisk flails as it's blood sprays all over the party members, turning the ones turned to stone back into their natural fleshy forms, while causing poison damage to those who were still flesh. Meanwhile, Giric's magical hand reaches him, with the scroll in it's grasp. However, before the party can catch their breathe, Quinton's acquaintance appears, thanking them for taking care of the basilisk and retrieving the scroll for him, but apologizing for what he's done as well, as behind them enters the fabled Mirror Knight. Session 10 Summary (4/15/17) The surprised party engaged the Mirror Knight in desperate battle, following the villain's sudden arrival. The Mirror Knight proved to be a challenging foe, as magic seemed to have no effect on him. With nigh inhuman efficiency, he ruthlessly targeted his attacks at the spellcasters of the group. Mithras, however, proved a constant thorn in the Mirror Knight's side. Transforming himself into a gigantic snake, the elven druid was able to continuously constrict the Mirror Knight and impede him somewhat. The Mirror Knight, however, was no ordinary warrior. Though Mithras continued to hamper his movement, with even Gamlin managing to grapple him once, the mysterious knight was able to continuously disappear in an instant and re-appear elsewhere. The party's spellcasters continued to wield mighty arcane and eldritch forces against the Mirror Knight throughout the battle but the damage done to him seemed negligible at best. The Mirror Knight moved effortlessly throughout the field of battle, thanks to his teleportation abilities, and seemed to have the upper hand throughout the fight. For reasons unknown, the Mirror Knight fled. Teleporting out of reach and dashing back out of the sewers, the party lost sight of him. Just after the Mirror Knight's departure, the sewers of Beregost began to crumble violently. The party made a mad dash for the exit, with Gamlin nearly drowning to death in the room with the whirlpool in the center, but ultimately managed to escape seemingly in one piece. With the scroll securely in the party's possession, the group finds themselves alone outside of the sewer entrance. Bovac notices that Quinton was tied up and gagged in the shadows and quickly undid his bonds. Quinton inquired as to whether the party had retrieved the scroll or not but the group decided against giving Quinton any straight answers. Though Quinton was desperate for information, the Ashen Eagle had agreed to set the matter aside for tomorrow since they were all quite tired from their battles in the sewers. With Quinton dismissed, the group made their way to a shop of magical items. Once there, they were greeted by an attractive elven woman. She provided a price for the service of identifying the properties of the items and asked the party to leave the items there overnight. Mithras, seeming quite taken with the elven woman, took her aside to "browse some wares." The two found themselves in the back of the shop and Mithras, after touching the woman's elbow, was able to have sexual intercourse with her. As Mithras and the elven woman copulated out of sight, Ginobli made quite an impression on the local nobles. Through magical means, his clothing and hair had never looked better and he had been invited to a fancy party at a noblewoman's estate. Meanwhile, Gamlin and Quarion discussed the scroll and other matters while Giric provided some commentary. Badger, in typical Badger fashion, was quite reserved and silent throughout the entire affair. Once the business in the magical shop was concluded, the party was lead by Badger to the local jeweler. There they met an old man and sold much of the treasure they acquired in the sewers to him. Giric spent a great deal of time haggling over one gold piece and nearly lost out on a deal because of it. Ultimately, he saw reason and sold his treasure for its appraised value. The party, once all shopping matters had been taken care of, went to their respective inns. Giric had been convinced to stay at Gamlin's inn with him and Mithras. Ginobli attended the swanky soiree but was kicked out after several complaints when his magic had faded. Ginobli returned to the superior inn that he resided at with Gamlin, Giric, and Mithras. Badger probably slept in a trash can somewhere. Bovac and Quarion returned to the shoddy inn they so loved. The party awoke the next morning eager to recover their magical items and hopefully gather more information from Quinton. Session 11 Summary (4/23/17) The Ashen Eagle awoke in their respective inns, each recovering somewhat from the battle in the sewers of Beregost. Before going to bed that night, Gamlin was able to use his healer's kit to better address both his and Giric's wounds. Though Giric had been healed in body, when he awoke that morning his mind was wracked with pain. A grievous headache had taken hold, though he made no mention of it. Gamlin, Ginobli, and Mithras, returned to the magic item shop, where Gamlin picked up the items and learned the values and magical properties of them. Gamlin, worried for Mithras and his frail constitution, gifted the elven druid with a magical ring that aided the wearer in growing tougher as they became more experienced and powerful. Despite the battle in the sewer and his not-so-tough frame taking a bit of a beating, Mithras seemed to be growing more comfortable in the city. The Dwarven axe also proved to be quite powerful and Gamlin happily swapped out his old axe in favor of the new one. Bovac's talisman was placed in Gamlin's backpack with full intent to return it to the dragonborn paladin. While Mithras, Ginobli, and Gamlin, took care of matters at the magical item shop, Giric made his way to the shoddy inn that Quarion and Bovac were staying at. Quarion had decided to read the scroll and through his magical capabilities was able to comprehend the strange languages written within. Quinton arrived at the shoddy inn and began questioning Quarion and Bovac about the scroll. Quarion and Quinton had a lengthy discussion regarding Quinton's master, the lich known as "Lord Whitshade." Lord Whitshade had seemingly been a decent man in life, but the circumstances of his becoming a lich remained shrouded in mystery. Apparently, Lord Whitshade had wanted to rule forever and may or may not have disliked his sons. During the discussion between Quarion and Quinton, the rest of the party arrived. Quinton attempted once more to convince the Ashen Eagle to venture to Candlekeep and aid his lord, but most of the party could not reconcile the fact that Quinton was undead and his master was a lich. The Ashen Eagle seemed highly reluctant to allying itself with a being of pure evil, such as a lich. Quinton grew angrier and more desperate and took to shouting at Quarion. As tensions seemed to rise, Truthseeker arrived. Truthseeker and several of his men burst into the inn with a great fury. Truthseeker's guards grabbed the innkeeper and dragged him away, preferring for there to be no witnesses. Quarion went to check on the innkeeper to see that he was not harmed. Truthseeker accused Quinton of killing one of his men, claiming that the insider that the Ashen Eagle was supposed to meet with in Beregost was the very man that Quinton allegedly murdered. Truthseeker called Quinton many things: liar, criminal, killer, and so on. Quinton claimed to be his lord's steward but Truthseeker countered, saying that Quinton had been sacrificed by Lord Whitshade and made to be an eternal undead servant and that in life he had been no more than a common criminal. Quinton seemed to instantly deflate and offered no real resistance when Truthseeker's men clapped him in irons. The party seemed at ease now, having expressed much reluctance to align themselves with Quinton and his mysterious lord. Truthseeker was determined to set the Ashen Eagle against Ferula immediately and so set out from Beregost with the party in tow. Headed to Greenest and Venditoft beyond, the Ashen Eagle and Truthseeker's band made their way through the city of Nashkel and into the mountainous regions further inland. Their numbers seemed to swell as traders and plain-dressed men (secretly warriors in disguise) joined their group. While en route to Greenest, Gamlin informed Truthseeker of his desire to aid the beleaguered people of Greenest. Truthseeker seemed annoyed by the idea and was insistent on simply passing through. Gamlin and Truthseeker went back-and-forth until Gamlin advised Truthseeker of the oath he swore to Orkulf Highgrudge to rescue his sister Fragna from Ferula. Truthseeker reluctantly conceded to Gamlin's demands, seeming to consider talk of promises and oaths thoroughly unpleasant. As the Ashen Eagle and Truthseeker's band seemed to settle down one night on the road to Greenest, they found themselves under attack. Ginobli had been on watch and alerted those who were not awoken by the sounds of battle. Gamlin charged forward, with Badger readying his bow and stalking not far behind. Giric struggled to stand, his headache having grown worse since his encounter with the Mirror Knight. Mithras immediately began to tend to Giric and look after him. As Gamlin and Badger surged towards the battle, Bovac joined the fray not long after. Though Bovac had trouble seeing in the dark of night, Ginobli placed a hand on Bovac's trident and set the weapon alight with a bright glow. Quarion, in his signature salty naval jacket with its faded colors, epaulets, tassles, buttons, and other ornamentation, also made his way to where the fighting was thickest. As the Ashen Eagle got a better look at their attackers, they were able to notice that they were all elves. Elven warriors clad in shirts of mail and wearing the red and gold of Ferula's heraldry. Ginobli contemplated tossing a fireball into the crowd, but decided against it. Badger fired arrow after arrow while Gamlin and Bovac laid into the enemy with full force. Bovac's trident, already shimmering from Ginobi's spell, exploded with divine light as he impaled his foe on the end of his weapon. Quarion expertly weaved his eldritch energies to great effect while Ginobli demonstrated his mastery of destructive arcane magic and obliterated enemy warriors without endangering the lives of allies. The battle seemed to end as suddenly as it began, with nearly everyone having killed at least one enemy combatant. As their forces crumbled, the elven ambushers began to flee. Gamlin began chasing after a few, while Ginobli once more showcased his wizardly skills to shape the earth into a massive fist and capture a fleeing enemy. Badger fired two arrows that were able to stun a fleeing elf long enough for Gamlin to tackle the warrior and bring him down. Still suffering from his incredible headache, Giric seemed to begin looking weaker by the moment. Ginobli took the opportunity to question his captive, gleaning from the elf that there was an informant among Truthseeker's men. Moreover, Ginobli learned that Ferula had eyes everywhere and had seen the party leave Beregost, enter Nashkel, and leave Nashkel again. As Ginobli demanded that his captive reveal the name of the spy, the elf laughed in defiance and dared Ginobli to kill him. Ginobli gladly obliged, clenching his Gnomish fist. As Ginobli did so, the massive earthen fist which held the elf aloft crushed him. The elf's life ended instantly as Ginobli casually began to prepare his pipe. Meanwhile, Gamlin struggled to save the life of his own captive. He attempted to stop the bleeding, but his medical skills were not up to par. He forced a potion of healing down the unconscious elf's throat, which seemed to close the wounds. Gamlin expertly bound the elven warrior with his famous hempen rope. As Gamlin did so, Truthseeker arrived and unceremoniously kicked the captive elf which returned the warrior to consciousness. Truthseeker demanded to take care of the elf in his own manner but Gamlin refused to allow it. Slinging the elf over his shoulder, Gamlin propped his captive against a tree further away from Truthseeker. Attempting to gain the elf's trust, Gamlin did what he could to lower the elf's guard. While trying to do so, Truthseeker came up behind Gamlin and drove his sword through a dying elf. Despite this, Gamlin was able to get the elf's name: Inemris. From Inemris, Gamlin learned that Greenest was fully under the control of Ferula's mercenaries. Mercenaries to which Inemris belonged. Though they were swords for hire, Ferula demanded that they display her colors. Gamlin also learned much of what Ginobli had: that Ferula was watching their every move. Gamlin learned that Ferula did not direct her fury at just her enemies, but also the families of her enemies. Fragna still lived, and was within Greenest, though from what it sounded like she was in a very bad position. No more than a dirty beggar. Gamlin slung Inemris over his shoulder once more and took him further out, just as dawn was beginning to break. Trying his hardest, Gamlin attempted to convince Inemris to turn away from Ferula and the mercenary life but failed to do so. Despite Gamlin's gentle treatment and kind words, Inemris was still bound by duty to his commander. Gamlin understood the sentiment and respectfully informed Inemris that if they crossed paths in battle again, he would not hesitate to kill him. Inemris understood and returned the feeling. Gamlin freed Inemris from his bindings and hoped that the Ashen Eagle would reach Greenest before him so that Inemris could be freed from his duty. Inemris smiled but seemed determined to reach Greenest before them. As Gamlin made his way back to camp, Ginobli was thoroughly enjoying his pipe and reveling in the slaughter of enemy forces. Giric, unable to withstand the headaches any longer, collapsed and went unconscious. Session 12 Summary (5/6/17) Giric Amnon, esteemed member of the Merchant's Guild, fell to the ground with a lifeless thud. The tiefling's unconscious body barely moved save for the steady rise and fall of his chest with every breath. With a start, Gamlin Goodhelm rushed over to his fallen companion and attempted to rouse the slumbering sorcerer but to no avail. Mithras Stormwhisper, drawn by the commotion, casually made his way toward the scene. As the tall wood elf drew closer to Giric's sleeping form, his eyes went wide and his pupils disappeared entirely. Mithras had entered into some sort of trance. Mithras Stormwhisper found himself surrounded by darkness. Before him lay the spiritual essence of Giric Amnon. Reaching out to his friend, Mithras beseeched Giric to free himself. It took a great deal of effort, for the essence of the Mirror Knight was there with them. Despite the fury of Stormwhisper's cry, the Mirror Knight could not be driven away. Somehow, Giric Amnon was able to free himself from the spell afflicting him. In his dreamlike state, he drew his dagger and cut his way through and eventually woke. There was some confusion, and amusement, surrounding Giric's circumstances. The party debated as to whether or not Giric had been cursed and whether he still retained the ability to cast spells. Summoning flame was not enough, it was only when Giric slammed a fireball into some nearby rocks that the party was satisfied. Ginobli proved to have some knowledge regarding the spell that had affected Giric and was able to provide helpful information. At Truthseeker's urging, however, the party soon carried on towards Greenest. The journey to Greenest proved rather uneventful from that point onward. More was learned of Quarion and Bovac's histories, allowing the others to gain more insight into who they were as people. Quarion had been sailing for much of his life and Bovac had left his clan (whose name meant "peaceful" in Draconic) to make his own way. Quarion imparted some seaworthy wisdom while Bovac spoke of his reverence for nature. Before long, the Ashen Eagle had found themselves on the outskirts of Greenest. Truthseeker had no interest in the town and so would not commit any of his men to Gamlin's mission. The mission was to rescue Fragna Highgrudge, which Gamlin Goodhelm had sworn he'd do to her brother Orkulf Highgrudge. While there were some confusion as to Gamlin's motives, the dwarf repeatedly assured his companions that what he did was for honor's sake and nothing more. "A dwarf is only as good as his word," Gamlin had told them. The party debated how best to enter Greenest, as it had an occupying force loyal to Ferula carefully screening any who sought entry. Ginobli had come up with a brilliant plan which Gamlin had agreed upon but before the details could be hashed out, Bovac and Quarion had set off without warning. Through some careful deception and stealth, everyone had managed to make it inside the town. Giric Amnon, however, had decided to remain behind with Truthseeker's party while the rest scoured Greenest for Fragna. Once inside, the party had been split. Bovac and Badger (who had snuck in after everyone had already entered and was thought to have remained behind with Giric and Truthseeker) went about on their own. Badger met with the old merchant and fellow gnome Alfwood, while Bovac managed to gather information through deceptive gossip. Quarion and Mithras ventured about, eventually discovering the sad fate (that Mithras was responsible for causing) of the poor guard who'd been posted to watch over Orkulf's hanged corpse many moons ago. Ginobli used his magic to turn Gamlin invisible while the gnome himself was disguised as a turnip farmer. Through Alfwood, Badger had learned that anyone deemed "important to city growth" was unable to leave Greenest. Alfwood pleaded desperately with Badger to get him out of the city and Badger said he'd "see what he could do" before taking his leave of his fellow gnome. Bovac learned that Fragna was usually to be found in the city's center and that she was frequently on the "wrong side of the law." Eventually, after covering a great deal of ground, the party was able to meet together in an alley and share their information. A crude plan was hatched, one involving stuffing Fragna in a barrel and rolling it out of town. Before that could happen, however, it appeared that Fragna was being kept under lock and key beneath the recently-constructed tower in the center of town. Gamlin was careful as he scouted out the tower's defenses, before he returned to his party. A daunting task lies before the Ashen Eagle and uncertainty hangs heavy in the air... Ginobli the Great does not want to die before he becomes a god... Session 13 Summary (6/17/17) A session was played for this game but no write-up was ever completed. Session 14 Summary (6/25/17) A session was played for this game but no write-up was ever completed. Session 15 Summary (7/2/17) A session was played for this game but no write-up was ever completed. Session 16 Summary (7/9/17) The game went on hiatus and ended before a Session 16 ever happened. The Next Chapter (2017-2018) Coming Soon...Category:TLDR History